Frequently Asked Questions

We have compiled answers to some of the most common league-related questions below.

Have an additional question or suggestion? Please let us know!

How much is the player registration fee and what does it include?

Player registration fees vary from year to year, season to season and by level of play. The 2018 Spring season player registration amount is $139 for instructional divisions (Tee Ball and Coach/Machine Pitch) and $160 for competitive divisions (Minors and up). The 2017 Fall season player registration amount was $100 for all returning players. Note that a discount is applied to the third and subsequent player registrations per family.

Player registrations received after the cutoff date (Typically mid-February timeframe for the Spring season) are more costly and do not guarantee a spot on a team - player may be placed on a wait list depending on registration totals by division at the time of registration. Late registrants also may not receive their uniform in time for Opening Day.

The Spring registration fee includes team assignment and uniform. The uniform consists of a Goshen Little League baseball cap or softball visor/headband, jersey, pants, socks and belt* (belt is provided only for Minors, Majors, Intermediate 50/70, Juniors and Seniors competitive divisions).

The Fall player registration fee includes team assignment and jersey. Returning players are asked to use their Spring cap/visor, pants and socks/belt. For new players who did not play in the Spring season, those items will be provided for an increased registration fee.

Spring registration for league age 7 - 12 year olds includes eligibility to participate in league-provided indoor Winter training sessions which run from January until March and are typically held at the Goshen CJH school gym. Players must be registered for the Spring season in order to participate.

What do I need to purchase and provide for my Little League baseball or softball player(s)?

Families should purchase a glove for their Little League player(s). The league has a lost and found that often has extra gloves which can be used upon request.

Players also must wear appropriate footwear - sneakers are fine though many players prefer rubber cleats. Metal cleats are not allowed. Parents must provide their player(s) with appropriate footwear.

A shared team bat and batting helmet, catcher's equipment and practice/game balls are provided by the league for each team. However, many families elect to purchase a bat and batting helmet for their player(s).

Boys playing baseball should wear an athletic supporter and are required to wear a cup when player catcher. Neither is provided by the league.

There are a variety of additional player gear/equipment options - items such as eye black, sunglasses, chest protectors, elbow guards, bat grips and many more are optional and are provided by families based on their preference, not the league.

BASEBALL BAT SIZE CHART

For those of you looking to buy a bat for your child, this is a general guide to bat size. Much depends on the size and strength of the child – one of the most common mistakes parents make is buying a bat that is too big for their child. It is wise to err on the smaller size. Another rule of thumb is have the child hold the bat straight out in front of them (as if they are pointing at the pitcher with it) just above the knob, and count to ten. If they can hold the bat out firmly without serious effort, then the bat is more than likely the right size. We suggest you buy the bat and let your child’s coach look at it before you remove the plastic wrapper to ensure it is the right size for your child. We also suggest that you refer to the LittleLeague.org bat rules. Bat barrel size must fall within the specifications for competitive divisions (Minors and up) or the bat may be removed from game play.

Starting with the Spring 2018 season, all competitive division baseball bats must display the USA BASEBALL emblem in order to be legal. You can read more about that rule change here.

Age

Suggested Length

4-6

25-26"

7

26-27"

8

26-28"

9

27-29"

10

28-30"

11

29-31"

12

29-32"

13-15

32-33"

16-18

32-34"

BASEBALL GLOVE SIZE CHART

No hard-fast rule on glove sizes. A glove made of leather is much easier for a child to “break in.” A vinyl or synthetic glove will never break in and will make it much more difficult for the younger player to learn to catch the ball. Just like bats, start off smaller and grow into a larger glove.

Age

Suggested Size (inches)

5 - 6

9-1/2 - 10-1/2

7 - 9

10-1/2 - 11-1/2

10 - 12

11 - 12

13+

11-1/2 - 13

How do I know which local little league I am eligible to participate in?

Player eligibility to participate in the Goshen Little League is based on home address. If you are unsure of which town's league your child is eligible to play in based on your home address, please use this website to search for your league.

What are my responsibilities to confirm my eligibility to participate in the league?

Valid proof of residency documentation needs to be provided to the Goshen Little League. Little League requirements are outlined here. This is a yearly requirement.

Every registered player needs to have a copy of their Birth Certificate on file. This should be uploaded to your website account page for each registered player.

Instructional divisions consist of players of league age 4 through 7 or 8. Competitive divisions begin at league age 8 or 9 with the Minors division.

Instructional divisions do not track formal game results. Goal is to work on player skills, learn about the game, participate on a team, meet new friends and prepare for the day when they enter a competitive division. An official Little League training curriculum is provided to Tee Ball coaches to focus on player skill building and fun drills. For our Coach/Machine pitch divisions, our coaches work together to reduce coach/machine pitch and increase player pitch throughout the season, calling strikes, outs and advancing bases. The more instructional players are exposed to these aspects of the game, the better prepared they will be for our competitive divisions.

Competitive divisions play games with umpires. Scores, player statistics and game results/standings may be displayed on our league website.

When will I find out which team my child is on?

Spring season team assignments are typically communicated in early to mid-March for competitive divisions and may be slightly later for instructional divisions.

Fall season team assignments are typically communicated in early to mid-August.

Can I request my child's team assignment?

Team assignment requests are accepted for instructional level divisions. We do our best to honor as many of these requests as possible to support the best possible experience for our league families. We also keep siblings together on the same team. However, we cannot always honor these requests as we must have balanced team rosters during the season.

We are not able to accept team assignment requests for competitive level divisions. Coach requests, however, are given appropriate consideration.

For the Spring season, when the league has a minimum of four teams in a division, all games are played internally (Goshen v Goshen) and teams are formed via a player draft process intended to keep them as fairly balanced as possible.

For the Fall season, and when the league is playing an interleague schedule versus other local towns, team formation will be determined by the direction of the Board of Directors.

When do practices begin?

Spring season practices typically begin in mid-to-late March on a schedule determined by the team manager.

Fall season practices typically begin in mid-to-late August.

When will the team game schedules be available and how will I receive a copy?

Team game schedules for the Spring season will be posted to our website in early April. We recommend that you use the website as the most current, accurate team schedule - games are rescheduled from time to time and updated on our website - so any downloaded copies or printouts may become outdated. Game schedules can also be easily accessed via our Dick's TSHQ league app on your smartphone.

Team game schedules for the Fall season will be posted to our website in early September and can be accessed the same way as Spring schedules.

When do games start?

Spring season games typically start by mid-April and end mid-June before the end of the school year. Schedule can be affected by holidays and school activities. Competitive division playoffs occur during the final week (or two) of the season.

Local (Goshen) All Star games are held on the final day of the season (Closing Day).

District All Star games typically begin in late June or early July and are based on District 19 scheduling.

Fall season games typically start by mid-September and end mid-to-late October. The Harvest Cup playoff tournament for competitive divisions begins in mid-to-late October based on District 19 scheduling.

Who do the teams play against?

For Instructional divisions, Tee Ball teams play against other Goshen teams at Craigville Park in Goshen. Coach/Machine Pitch teams may play against other Goshen teams also, if enough teams are available. If there are not enough teams to play Goshen vs Goshen games only, the league will work with other local District 19 leagues to play games against each other home and away.

For Competitive divisions, if enough teams are available, they will play against other Goshen teams only and all games will be held at Craigville Park in Goshen. If not, the league will work with other local District 19 leagues to join a POD, which is a group of local towns who will form their own collection of teams and play against each other home and away.

Are trophies provided to every player?

Participation trophies are awarded to all players in instructional divisions.

Achievement trophies are earned by playoff winners in competitive divisions.

How do All Stars work?

Local All-Star games are held for competitive-level divisions only. Local “Futures” games may be held for Coach/Machine Pitch divisions. Each are single games held on Closing Day of the Spring season and are intended to recognize those players nominated by their coaches as team all-stars.

District All-Star teams are formed by Goshen Little League for competitive-level divisions. Team and tournament rules are governed by NY District 19. Tryouts are held for age-qualified players. District All Star games typically begin in late June or early July and are based on District 19 scheduling.

How often are games played?

Spring season games are typically held twice a week and last approximately one hour for the younger instructional divisions and up to two hours or more for the older competitive divisions.

There will be one weekday evening game and one game on Saturday morning or early afternoon. The weekday evening games will rotate - meaning teams do not always play on the same week day each week.

Fall season games are typically held once per week on Saturday afternoons so as to not conflict with other youth sporting activities.

How often are practices held?

Team managers hold at least one practice per week once the season begins, based on their availability and schedule.

How do I make sure that both parents get league and team updates?

When you create an account on our league website, you set it up with parent information first, then add your players to be registered. You can add a second parent account to be associated with the player. Enter accurate email and cell phone information for each parent. When coaches send emails or text messages, they will be sent to the email address and cell phone number entered for the player and each parent.

The second parent account can be added anytime - just log into the league website and add the second parent to your account.

We communicate field closures (typically due to weather) via text message to registered players' mobile numbers.

Coaches are able to email and text their teams directly from our mobile phone app.

Our league's Dick's TSHQ mobile app also includes a team discussion board allowing all team families to easily stay in contact.

Our website automatically sends out game and practice reminders as well.

You can also receive league-related "tweets" on your mobile device via SMS Text messages (no Twitter account required), by texting Follow GoshenLL to 40404. To turn the service off, text Off or Stop or Leave to 40404.

How can I get involved?

We encourage all of our league families to get involved and help make the Goshen Little League a great place for the youth of our community to play baseball and softball! Email us at [email protected] and let us know how you'd like to help! You can also write us a letter of intent to be put on the Board of Directors ballot. That election is held at the end of the Spring season in mid-June.